CONTINUING the Southeast Asian-magical realism narrative style of The Story of Southern Islet, Golden Horse-winning director Chong Keat Aun’s second feature film Snow in Midsummer is based on historical events in Malaysia with a focus on the stories of survivors.
Snow in Midsummer features a stellar cast from Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore, including Wan Fang, Pearlly Chua, Rexen Cheng, Pauline Tan, Peter Yu and Alvin Wong.
Last year, the film received the Special Mention Musa Cinema and Arts Award at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. It also earned nine nominations at the 2023 Golden Horse Awards, marking a new milestone for Malaysian directors at this prestigious event. In 2024, Chong made history again after becoming the first Malaysian director to win the Firebird Award for Best Film in the Chinese-language Young Cinema Competition at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Heartfelt revelation from 14 survivors
The story is set three days after the 1969 Malaysian general election. Eng and her mother are watching the Cantonese opera Snow in June in Pudu while her father and brother are at the Majestic Theatre watching The Jilted. Unexpectedly, riots broke out that night, resulting in “hundreds of people disappearing” overnight with their bodies never to be found.
Since then, Eng has confined herself to the 1969 time frame, relentlessly searching for her lost family members. Forty-nine years later, Eng meets the Cantonese opera troupe master Dou-E from that tragic day at the cemetery and together, they recount the events of that tragic night in 1969.
The film also recreates scenes from Majestic Theatre, featuring the debut film of Taiwanese actress Yurunana Danivu, The Jilted, and the historical epic Raja Bersiong about Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
17 years in the making
Kedah-born director Chong began the research for his The Classic Accents project and collected oral histories since 2005. In 2009, while participating in the Sungai Buloh leprosarium preservation demonstration, he discovered an unmarked cemetery behind the settlement. He waited for the next-of-kin at the graveyard every Qingming Festival and May 13, interviewed the survivors and compiled stories from 14 female family members for over 14 years.
Two of his short films Cemetery of Courtesy (2017) and Dayang Bersiong – The Sinful Cook (2022) serve as predecessors of Snow in Midsummer.
Chong won the Best New Director Award at the 57th Golden Horse Awards for his debut feature The Story of Southern Islet. Veteran film critic Wen Tien-Hsiang hailed it as a groundbreaking work that stunned the Chinese-language film industry with its unique theme and cinematic aesthetic.
“It is a miracle to be able to release (the movie) in Malaysia,” Chong said.
International acclaim
Taking a gentle approach, Snow in Midsummer portrays the story of traumatised family members, a Nyonya descendent and an opera troupe family who silently searched for missing family members for 49 long years.
From preparation and filming to appearances at film festivals worldwide, the movie has continuously received international recognition and praise.
Chong announced via his social media at the end of May that the film had been approved after four rounds of review by the Film Censorship Board over six months.
“This is a story about the wounded historical survivors. Having it screened in my home country is a miracle and a small step forward,” Chong said.
Meanwhile, Wan Fang, who will attend the movie premieres and events in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, said: “From the Venice Film Festival to now, the film has been seen and suppressed. It has been a bumpy journey. I am grateful it can finally be screened in Malaysia.”
She added that Snow in Midsummer does not just happen in Malaysia as it occurs worldwide.
“From the moment the idea was planted in director Chong’s mind, through shooting, completion and release, he has likely felt the most about the twists and turns along the way. Let’s move forward with blessings and gratitude.”
Remembering history
Local veteran actress Chua, who plays the role of Cantonese opera troupe master Dou-E, was moved to tears upon learning that Snow in Midsummer would finally be screened in Malaysia.
“It feels like seeing the first light of dawn after a long period of darkness. I am grateful this film can finally be shown in its home country. I hope every audience who sees this story will better understand the importance of peace and harmony,” Chua said.
“It is exceptional for a film with such a theme and genre to be released in Malaysia. More Malaysians should be reminded of this part of our history. With the movie receiving recognition from the Venice and Golden Horse Film Festivals, I hope all movie enthusiasts will appreciate this meaningful work,” said Tan.
She said she was excited and emotional after receiving the good news.
Remarkable performance
Although Wan Fang is widely known for her soulful singing in the Hong Kong movie C’est La Vie, Mon Cheri and numerous Taiwanese dramas, she has since been involved in many other dramas, movies and radio broadcasts.
In Snow in Midsummer, Wan portrays Eng, a character who trapped herself for 49 years in the aftermath of the May 13 riots in search of her missing father and brother. Her impactful and moving performances in the second half of the film displayed her profound and restrained acting skills as well as the character’s strong inner strength and powerful will, earning her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 60th Golden Horse Awards.
Additionally, she spent months learning the local Nanyang accent to accurately portray the Nyonya descendant character. To fully immerse herself in the role, she wore Nyonya costumes at all times, on and offset, attending every filming session, even when she was not required to perform. Her dedication earned high praise from the Malaysian crew.
Chong was particularly impressed with her ability to effortlessly switch accents.
“She was Malaysian on set and Taiwanese offset. That is impressive.”
Meanwhile, Wan credited Chong as her “Malaysian accent” mentor, who meticulously guided her through the pronunciation of each word.
A memorable moment was when Wan Fang performed an intense mourning scene at the cemetery on the last shooting day. It took multiple takes and was said to have made the thespian dehydrated due to the scorching heat.
“The director and I were exploring various ways to express grief and mourning. We ended up doing 13 takes for the crying scenes. I did not really get dehydrated,” Wan Fang clarified.
Although she was not dehydrated, she broke down in tears and hugged Chong after they wrapped up the shoot.
Hatful of nominations
Renowned local actress and theatre veteran Chua, known for her role as a mother seeking revenge for her son through black magic in Chong’s debut film The Story of Southern Islet collaborated with the director again for his sophomore feature film Snow in the Midsummer.
In the movie, Chua portrays the dedicated second-generation Cantonese opera troupe master Dou-E. Her character tirelessly applies for a blue MyKad for her godson Hokkien Boy while fearing for her mother’s safety at the Majestic Theatre. Despite predominantly appearing in Cantonese opera makeup in Snow in Midsummer, Chua’s acting shines through, resonating deeply with audiences. Her outstanding performance has earned international recognition including praise from Loud and Clear for its heartbreaking reflection on history. This stunning performance also led to her nomination for Best Performance at the 2023 Singapore International Film Festival.
Stellar cast
Local actress Tan, well-known for her roles in numerous local dramas, plays Eng’s mother (Little Eng was played by Chloyen Lim) in Snow in Midsummer. Despite escaping death with her daughter, her husband Kooi (Yu) and son Yeow (Teoh Wei Hern) vanish after going to watch a Taiwanese film at the Majestic Theatre. Her heart-wrenching search for her family ends in despair. Tan’s elegant portrayal of the Peranakan woman leaves a lasting impression.
Taiwanese actor Cheng plays Hokkien Boy, a character from Zhangzhou, in Snow in Midsummer. His character lives under the roof of a Cantonese opera troupe while trying to obtain a blue Malaysian identity card. Cheng’s performance in the scene, in which he sang the Nanyang Hokkien song to soothe the traumatised Eng resonates with the audience.
Singaporean actor Yu, who has been in the industry for 33 years, portrays the tragic victim Kooi who loses his family overnight. His exceptional and nuanced performance during the argument scene with his wife (Eng’s mother) at the temple about their children instantly brought the audience back to the patriarchal society of 1970s Malaysia.
Co-produced by Malaysia’s SunStrong Entertainment, Singapore’s August Pictures, Taiwan Creative Content Agency, Taipei Film Commission, Swallow Wings Films, Southern Islet Pictures and Janji Pictures Production, Snow in Midsummer is distributed by Mega Films Distribution.
